Electric gas-igniter.



No. 669,543. Patented Mar. l2, [90L 0. VON MORSTEIN.

ELECTRIC GAS IGNITER.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

OSCAR VON MORSTEIN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC GAS-lGNlTER.

SPECIFICATION fem, ring part of Letters Patent No, 669,543, dated March1901- Application filed December 8, 1896. Serial No. 614,931. 1N0model-1 To all wit/0772, it may concern- Be it known that I, OSCAR voNMORSTEIN, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and aresident of the city of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for the Ignitionof Gas-Jets by Means of Electricity, (for which I have obtained patentsin Germany, No. 88,271, dated October 19,1895; in France, No. 254,819,dated March 17,1896; in Belgium, No. 120,494, dated March 18, 1896, andin Great Britain, No. 20,801, dated November 4, 1805;) and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for the ignition of gas-jets by meansof electricity, said devices being of the kind in which the gasjets areat a distance from the operating-place.

The invention consists in a device for the electric ignition of gas-jetsfrom a distance by means of secondary induction-currents, for thepurpose of which ignition the contact arrangement when set in activitykeeps up an intermittent close-circuiting so long as is necessary.

It is known that illuminatinggas when left unused for a length of timedecomposes in the pipes, and some time passes before the incombnstibleproducts of decomposition and the column of air that may be presentbetween the gas-cock and the burner are eX- pelled by theoutwardly-flowing combustible gas. Therefore in the devices hithertoknown having for object the ignition of gas-jets from a distant pointthere exists the danger that after the gas-cock has been opened, whetherby hand or by means of an electromagnetic cock-opener, the contact willoperate for too short a length of time, and consequently no ignition ofthe gas will take place, and that the non-observance of thiscircumstance, especially when the lights are not visible from theposition of the operator, may be the cause of gas-explosions andgas-poisoning. A further serious evil, certainly only met with in suchdevices as effect the ignition of the gas by means of inductioncurrents,is that hitherto the interruptions of current requisite for theinductive action have been effected at the inductor and by electricalmeans. The primary circuit then either receives throughthiselectromagnetic circuit-breakingarrange ment a resistance injuriousto the inductive actionor the magnetic attractive force at disposalremains so small that a perfectly sure action of the circuit-breakingarrangen'lent is not obtainable or is deranged by the slightest causes.

In the accom panying drawings, which ill ust-rate the device of thisinvcn tion for igniting gas-jets from a distance, Figure 1 is a view ofa gas-pipe provided with burners to which the wires leading from theinduction-bobbins are applied. Fig. 2 is a view of the contact mechanismwith intermittently-closed circuit, and Fig. 3 shows a modification ofsaid contact mechanism. Fig. at is a further modification thereof inconnection with the lever for opening the gas-cock.

a is a gas-pipe fitted with several burners b, at which terminate theconducting-wires c of the secondary bobbins S S which are wound over aprimary bobbin P. In the conductor of the primary bobbin P is interposedthe contact mechanism 0, which may belocated at any suitable distancefrom the burners b and from the battery B.

Secondary indnotion-currents are used for igniting purposes.Theinduction-bobbins one or more secondary bobbins S S slid over primarybobbins Pmay be located at any suitable distance from the burners b, theends of the wires of said secondary bobbins being led in a known way tothe burners, where they terminate in igniting-points. The currents areconducted to the burners and effect ignition in the form ofover-springing sparks.

The peculiarity of the device consists'in that the contact-place O (C CO )that is to say, the place or places from which the gas is to beignited-may be at any desired distance both from the induction-bobbins SS and from the burners h, and accordingly the Whole operative means isso designed that the same manipulation-' say a single pull, pressure, ormovement of a leverestablishes at the same time not only a contact ofsufficiently-long duration for the ignition of the gas, but alsoproduces the requisite interruptions of current for the inductiveaction. Contact C consists of a clockwork mechanism which for onerevolution of the ratchet-wheel s is released by lifting the pawl 70 outof said wheel and which, by the teeth of one of its wheels 0', bringsabout an intermittent contact with the contact-piece u. The clockworkmay easily be combined with means for releasing the same every time itis wound up. hen the pawl 76 is removed from the ratchet-wheel s, theclockwork rotates the Wheel r, the teeth of which during its rotationrepeatedly establish the contact with the contact-piece u, and thusinterrupt a like number of times the current passing from the battery Bto the primary bobbin P. Each of such interruptions corresponds to aspark at the burners generated by the inductio11currents in the bobbinsS S An extremely simple contact arrangement C is shown-in Fig. Itconsists of a vibrating spring/Q which, set in oscillation by hand,strikes against a contact-piece g. By correspondingly designing thelength and thickness of the springfand a weight. at its end the desiredduration and velocity of the oscillations may be obtained. Such orasimilar contact device may also be so arranged that simultaneously withits action the gas-cook is opened. A device of this kind is shown inFig. 4;. The hand-lever by which the clock work in the contact mechanism0 is released or by Which the spring fin that of Fig. 2 is set inoscillation maybe connected directly to the plug of the gas-cock. If atsome part of the arrangement in question it should be desired to actuatean electromagnetic gascock opener, the necessary close-circuitingtherefor can be effected by the same manipulation.

The details of construction of the contact device maybe carried out indifferent waysfor example, as indicated at C The spring 1', in beingbrought into the proper position relatively to the contact-piece g, bymoving a lever H, (the gas-cock lever, for instai'iee) or the like, mayalso be set in oscillation by causing it to impinge at the same timeagainst a part h projecting in its path.

The condenser K is interposed in a known manner between thecircuit-breaking points.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

A device for igniting gas-jets from a distance by means of secondary inducliou-currents, said device consisting of a source of the current and aprin'iary bobbin over which the condnoting-wi es terminating at theburners are wound as indnotion-bobbins and of a vibrating springinterposed in the conductor for the purpose of alternately closing andbreaking the electric circuit during the time of its oscillations whichspring is so located at a distance from the contact-piece that it canonly reach the latter in its oscillations substantially as described andshown.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twosubscribing wit nesses.

OSCAR VON MORSTEIN.

\Vitnesses:

W. HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

